Producer/mixer/songwriter David Bendeth is one of the all time greats; we’re honored to have him on the show for a wide ranging, thorough discussion about his career, the psychology of working with musicians, and the importance of evolving with not just technology, but also emotionally.
“Music is ever evolving, and you have to keep up with whatever the technology is; that’s important. But, at the same time, if you don’t keep up with the emotional, inner side of creativity, it doesn’t matter what kind of technology you’ve got, you’re not going to do anything that means anything or that inspires anybody.” – David Bendeth
ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
3:55 The feeling that music has chosen you, rather than the other way around
7:00 David’s perspective on the 60s as transformative years
18:40 The importance of demonstrating that you can follow instructions
25:37 The importance of figuring out your passion, and why David is drawn to producing rather than engineering
27:49 Frustration as a motivator and learning at the side of masters
30:53 Record label staff producers
33:52 Working on multiple projects at the same time
39:53 Going independent after years of working at labels
46:16 How pay worked with a label, and how David made going it on his own work
53:30 Perspective on the modern state of the industry to the way things used to be
59:07 The goal of stripping away the bullshit and how to know when you’re actually getting deep with an artist
1:03:11 The value of verbal communication over written communication
1:09:35 The psychological difficulties of the music industry, and strategies to face them.
1:30:20 Getting great drum source tone while also maintaining the performer’s vibe
1:33:26 How to evolve without losing your signature sound
1:35:18 What David wanted to bring to Underoath’s “Lost in the Sound of Separation”
1:37:54 The snare sound on Bring Me The Horizon’s “Sempiternal”
1:45:46 David’s experience working with Candiria
1:49:02 Reverb and delay strategies
1:52:31 Setting the best key and tempo for a song
1:58:39 Dealing with layered vocals
2:01:48 Logistical systems to facilitate a smoother recording process
2:05:31 Recording vocals with Breaking Benjamin
2:07:32 Getting low end in your snare
2:10:09 What a producer’s involvement in rolling out a record should be
2:13:17 David’s advice for his younger self
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